Thursday, 2 September 2010

The Flying Cyclist's Trans-Australia Record attempt is over

I hope my writing about it didn't jinx Chris Marris's record attempt but, unfortunately, his website is saying that the attempt has been stopped for safety reasons. He was almost half way across the continent at the time, and on schedule for a new record.

Despite forecasts to the contrary, Chris had to endure very heavy rain for a large part of the four days he was on the road and it looked like he'd be facing even more if he continued. Apart from the physical discomfort of riding in constant, heavy rain this also raised major concerns for his safety. The wesbite states:

"The problem with the rain, which yesterday was heavy and unrelenting, comes from the side effects of poor visibility, particularly at night while on the road, and the associated wall of water that can almost knock you off your bike when a road train goes flying past."

I would like to congratulate Chris for what he did manage to achieve, not least raising a considerable sum for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and wish him luck for the future.